Many people think of obedience as the opposite of joy. Obedience can sound restrictive, demanding, or burdensome. Joy, by contrast, sounds freeing and satisfying. Our culture often teaches us that happiness comes from following our desires, resisting limitations, and choosing our own path. Jesus presents a different vision.

In John 15, He teaches that obedience doesn’t rob us of joy. Obedience leads us into joy because it keeps us close to Him. God’s commands aren’t designed to keep us from flourishing. They guide us toward the life for which we were created.

We were created to glorify God, and one of the primary ways we glorify Him is by obeying His Word. But Christian obedience isn’t cold rule-following. It grows from union with Christ, rests on His grace, expresses our love, and produces lasting fruit.

.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.  You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

.

If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com.

Many people think of obedience as the opposite of joy. Obedience can sound restrictive, demanding, or burdensome. Joy, by contrast, sounds freeing and satisfying. Our culture often teaches us that happiness comes from following our desires, resisting limitations, and choosing our own path. Jesus presents a different vision.
In John 15, He teaches that obedience doesn&rsquo;t rob us of joy. Obedience leads us into joy because it keeps us close to Him. God&rsquo;s commands aren&rsquo;t designed to keep us from flourishing. They guide us toward the life for which we were created.
We were created to glorify God, and one of the primary ways we glorify Him is by obeying His Word. But Christian obedience isn&rsquo;t cold rule-following. It grows from union with Christ, rests on His grace, expresses our love, and produces lasting fruit.
.
Please visit <a href="https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/">https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/</a> for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.&nbsp; You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.
.
If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange">https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange</a>
.
The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here: <a href="https://amzn.to/41v1DKh">&nbsp;https://amzn.to/41v1DKh</a>
.
To&nbsp;email John Stange directly, please send your message to <a href="mailto:biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com">biblestudyheadquarters@gmail.com</a>.

What does it look like to live out Philippians 4:8? "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things." Talk to yourself like God talks to you! In Dwell on These Things, pastor and author John Stange shows how, instead of living at the mercy of whatever thought pops into your mind, you can choose to

🙏 Replace feelings of discouragement with a sense of God’s goodness
🙏 Practice seeing yourself in the loving way God sees you
🙏 Exchange negative self-talk for positive biblical messages
🙏 Learn to face the day with hope in your heart

There’s no need to remain stuck thinking unhelpful thoughts. Learn how you can fill your mind with encouraging, life-enriching truths through a gospel-saturated, thirty-one-day challenge that can help you replace a destructive mindset with a positive, empowering, and godly one.

Listen to Pastor John Stange's other podcasts:

Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible
Daily Devotions with Pastor John

To read more from John, visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/.

What does it look like to live out Philippians 4:8? "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things." Talk to yourself like God talks to you! In Dwell on These Things, pastor and author John Stange shows how, instead of living at the mercy of whatever thought pops into your mind, you can choose to 🙏 Replace feelings of discouragement with a sense of God’s goodness 🙏 Practice seeing yourself in the loving way God sees you 🙏 Exchange negative self-talk for positive biblical messages 🙏 Learn to face the day with hope in your heart There’s no need to remain stuck thinking unhelpful thoughts. Learn how you can fill your mind with encouraging, life-enriching truths through a gospel-saturated, thirty-one-day challenge that can help you replace a destructive mindset with a positive, empowering, and godly one.
Listen to Pastor John Stange's other podcasts:
<a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/chapter-a-day-audio-bible/">Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible</a> <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/daily-devotions-with-pastor-john/">Daily Devotions with Pastor John</a>
To read more from John, visit <a href="https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/">https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/.</a>

In Dwell on These Things, pastor and author John Stange shows how, instead of living at the mercy of whatever thought pops into your mind, you can choose to replace feelings of discouragement with a sense of God’s goodness.

Dwell On These Things

Dwell on These Things

“Obeying God with Joy” - John 15:1-11

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/034bdf8f-7caa-484d-83b0-b4a2001d7e2c/transcript